EconoMONEY in Action

Last week, we were full speed ahead in third grade! Along with learning about reader’s and writer’s workshop, we were also able to dive in to one of our newest additions, which also happens to be a class fave…EconoMoney! After getting my feet wet with a classroom economy last year, I was excited, yet nervous, at implementing an economy at such a large scale. It has been a great experience for the kids and is not only teaching them the value of money, but also of hard work. I am loving it so far! Here is a quick look at what went down last week with our EconoMoney (iPhone style…excuse the quality of the pictures)! 

The students worked in their analysis groups to write contracts and agree upon salaries for our classroom jobs. They were so excited about their analysis groups and worked so well together!

Each student will now hold a position for one month and will then apply for new positions. I wish I had taken a picture of their applications. They were the sweetest things ever! The kids were super excited the next day to find out which position they had been hired for!

   

Once we had our classroom jobs assigned, it was time to design a currency. They students all shared their reasoning behind how they chose to design their money. Our money will have pictures of myself, our principal, and our student teacher in the middle! Here is a look at what last year’s money looked like!

Then, we had to find out just how we could earn this new money! The students did a wonderful job learning how to calculate their credits and debits!

 

Their first week’s salary will be waiting for them on Monday morning, along with their new EconoMoney wallets.

 

I found these cute little “wallets” at Wal-Mart for 50 cents. They are perfect!

If you would like to motivate your students through a classroom economy, you can check out this unit on TPT!

Customizable:

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I hope that you are all enjoying a LONG weekend! I am trying to rest up for what I know will be a super busy week! Happy Monday, friends!

South Carolina Meet-Up

Yes, yes, yes…we are still on and I am so excited to meet-up with some my SC blogger friends! September snuck up on me WAY too fast! Maybe it is because my brain hasn’t left school for more than 30 minutes in the past two weeks! I am sure you are feeling the crunch as well! Glad those first two weeks are finally over, and I am super thankful to have tomorrow off to pull myself back together! Ha!

About the meet-up: 

On September 15, we will meet-up in Columbia from 11:00a.m.-2:00p.m. to chat away. We will announce the location in the next week as soon as we have a general idea of how many of you to expect! I have created a Facebook Event over on my FB page for Shenanigans! If you are planning on coming to the meet-up, please join the event and stay tuned for more details coming VERY soon!

Click on the picture below to view the event!

I hope that you are all having a very blessed…LONG…weekend! ;)

Heroic Readers {Establishing Expectations in Reader’s Workshop}

Ok…seriously y’all…if I have to repeat the same procedures one more time…I may die! Ha! My husband may kinda like the fact that I have zero voice left when I get home from school each night! I am telling you…even with the same kiddos…beginning of the year routines stink! I mean most eight year olds do not typically enjoy setting up notebooks and folders!

Sooooo…I am really trying to make this as fun as possible! {Is that possible?} :) We began our Reader’s Workshop introduction this week, and I really wanted the students to buy into the whole real reading vs. fake reading concept! Since they are so into superheroes lately, I thought a heroic readers theme would do the trick!

I made my acting debut and demonstrated fake readers at their best! The kids thought it was hysterical and my award winning acting skills really caught their attention. Ha! Then, we created a chart comparing real reading and fake reading…on a super hero cape, of course!

This will hang front and center in our library to remind students of heroic reading behaviors!

After we discussed these behaviors as a class, the students created their very own super hero cape describing what they need to do to show that they are a heroic reader! You would have thought that I gave them a million bucks!   I didn’t realize that third graders would be so excited about a cape! I so love the fact that even though they are growing up…they are always ready for some fun!

  

I have promised the students that they can wear their capes on the first day of Reader’s Workshop!

If you would like the super reader graphic, you can download a copy below!

I also posted a freebie on Saturday for our beginning of the year “I Am” poems. Here are the finished poems…

  

  

Well, I am off to rest this voice of mine and get ready for another crazy busy day tomorrow! Happy {almost} Wednesday, sweet friends!

Teacher Week: Freebie Friday & First Week Peek

I did it!!!! I survived the first week of school, cross country practice, football games & three doctors appointments. I haven’t been this tired in a very long time! Regardless of how bad my feet ache, this week was one of my best first weeks yet! I think I am going to love this third grade thing! 

We began our first day rockin’ the shades! The kiddos couldn’t get enough of them and actually continued to wear them throughout the week!

Click below to grab the Freebie!

While they were looking too cool for school, we had to take a few first day pictures!

Then, since my kiddos already knew one another so well, {we have been together for three years now} I really wanted to do something super fun and unique on the first day of school for our classroom introductions! Cue the mad libs! First of all, this was a great review of the basic parts of speech…AND…they were stinkin’ hilarious! So basically, the kids created a list of random words, and then filled the words into a beginning of the year story in the matching blanks.

Click on the pictures below to snag a copy!

 

(Do not let your kiddos read the story while filling in the blanks…they will go change crazy and want to change everything!) :)

Along with our student mad libs, I had the kiddos write "I Am” poems which we displayed with  our first day of third grade pictures! They turned out super cute! (Click on the picture to download the freebie!)

After the first day craziness, we spent the next few days getting into all things champions using my Going for the Gold pack! Of course, I had to pull out the American Flags!

One of their favorite activities for the week was our Snack Mix of Champions! Are you surprised? Kids + food = one happy classroom! ;) This mix set the tone for the school year, and the kids have already been referring back to this activity when discussing expectations for the year!

Freebie Below!

While eating our snack mix, the kiddos spent some time thinking about all of the things they would like to accomplish in third grade! And…we may have even watched some videos of Michael Phelps at the Olympics! ;) Here is how our goal setting books turned out!

 

And since the first week is not just suppose to be *ALL* fun and games, I even managed to squeeze in a few instructional routine practices!

We began each day learning our new morning song…. (Click on the picture to download)

…and we began our Mission Possible Math Review! You can read more about this freebie HERE!

Well…4 days down…176 to go! Here’s to a great year! Happy Weekend! <3

And…it’s not too late to link up with Blog Hoppin’ for Teacher Week! So, head on over and show us your FREEBIES! 

Must-haves Monday!

I am so excited about teacher week 2012! Today, it is all about the must-haves! So, I hope that you have a good hour or two, because there are only a million things that I need on a daily basis! Most would call that high maintenance…especially my husband! ;)

Let’s begin with the basics, shall we???…

 

Enough said! ;)

Now that the most important must-have has been introduced, I am going to try and stay organized with my next 1,000 few must-haves for the classroom! {Organization is only temporary…it’s a beginning of the year thing!}

Must-have Materials:

 

Not only do I love me some Ron Clark, but I also love his Essential 55. Unfortunately requiring the youngsters to remember 55 rules is not going to happen any time soon! Narrowing it down to 10 seemed to do the trick! These essentials hang in my room every year! If you would like these posters for your room, click on the pictures above!

I know…I know…worksheets are so a thing of the past! I agree! But…these books are some amazing resources! I love them! Plus, I use the reading skills book for cold readers to get an accurate measure of my kiddo’s comprehension skills. Whatever grade level I teach, I typically purchase a grade level above/below. This always works so well when trying to meet the needs of a diverse classroom!

I have talked about DOGOnews on my blog before! It is so perfect for the classroom, that it deserved a second chance in the spotlight! :) This is an online current events resource that you will definitely want to check out! You can check out my post about this HERE!

Lots and lots of double copy books for reading partnerships! Why must books be so expensive?!?

Although I have yet to use this crazy amazing resource, I know it will be a must have for me this year! If you haven’t checked out Lesson Plan’s Reading Binder, you might want to! ;)

Thinking Clouds for GR groups! These clouds do the trick of getting all of the students actively involved in their reading. You can check them out by clicking on the picture above!

Must-have Daily Procedures/Staples:

Every morning, we begin with our morning song! I wouldn’t want to begin the day any other way! It gets the kiddos up and moving and wakes up those sleepy brains!

 

Mission Possible Math: This strategy replaced my morning meeting time and I LOVE it! It is my favorite time of day! This is the perfect way to provide enrichment for all of those braniacs while scaffolding others still working towards mastery! You can read more about this by clicking on one of the pictures above!

Must-have Teacher Necessities:

The Cameo…Do I really need to go into detail? ;)

Common Core App: I love having the standards organized and ready on my phone. Plus, this app allows you to view the standards for the grade level above and below in the same area.

And…last but not least…who doesn’t love scented markers?! These are my absolute fave for creating anchor charts!

Ok…so I am dying to know! What are your teacher must-haves? Link up with Blog Hoppin’ and tell us all about them!